Marketing Part 2: It's All In The (Descriptive) Name

Check out the link above on “17 Mutable Suggestions For Naming A Startup.” I especially like number 2:

2. Hint At What You Do: You have two paths to go when picking a startup name. You can pick a name that is “synthetic” and made-up (example: Wufoo or Quora) or you can use somthing that is somewhat descriptive of what you do (example: Backupify or KISSmetrics). I lean a bit towards the descriptive side of the spectrum. But, a lot depends on what you’re building. Synthetic names are often great in the long, long-term (easily trademarkable, and you can truly “own” them and infuse them with meaning) — but most of the time, I’m more worried about surviving in the short-term. So, I like simple names that convey a bit of what the company actually does or stands for.

When first starting out you want to be sure to make everything as easy as possible for you. That means avoiding as many barriers to entry as you can. What better way to do this than by picking a kick ass name for your newfound business venture.

Dharmesh Shah’s advice is to pick a descriptive name versus a synthetic one. Why?

Synthetic names are often great in the long, long-term (easily trademarkable, and you can truly “own” them and infuse them with meaning) — but most of the time, I’m more worried about surviving in the short-term.

This goes back to yesterday’s post on kreezo.com. Surviving is all about how well you can sell your idea to others. That means marketing yourself.

Pick a simple name that conveys a bit of what your company actually sets out to do. A customer will NEVER give your product a test run before he figures out what the hell he is actually signing up for. Why not take care of that little caveat right by using a descriptive name?

Let’s be honest, synthetic names aren’t all that great. Sure you can get by with one (i.e. Quora), but I think Quora has only gotten by in the marketing department because it was founded by two ex-facebookers.

A realistic example of a synthetic name is Wufoo. I can’t help but ask myself what the hell Wufoo does. A great descriptive name could fix this.

You want an example of a great descriptive name? “Facebook.” Why? Because that is exactly what they replaced, a facebook. It doesn’t get more descriptive then that.

So, synthetic or descriptive name? Which to choose? The choice is obvious. Pick a unique, descriptive name. A synthetic-descriptive hybrid. Pick a name that is both creative, easily trademarkable, and also descriptive. Dharmesh Shah lists 2 excellent examples: “Backupify” and “KISSmetrics”. Even if you have never heard of them, it isn’t hard to tell what services they offer. And that is something all startups should strive for.